Tiger welcomes St. Teresa students to school

Tony the Tiger, the mascot for St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School, welcomed students back to school Monday and gave them hugs and high-fives as they headed off to their classes.

"The leadership council came up with the idea," said Grace Bayliss, 13, student council president. "We thought it would be a great way to welcome everyone back."

So Bayliss donned the costume and waited outside for her classmates to arrive.

Despite Monday's temperatures into the 90s, she didn't regret the decision.

"It was hot," she said, "but it was a lot of fun, so it kind of covered it up."

About 180 students showed up for the first day of the parochial school, down slightly from previous years.

At the school assembly, new students introduced themselves and principal Chris Perdomo vowed to learn their names.

"I will have them all down by Wednesday or Thursday," she said. "I love knowing everyone's names."

Father Chuck Durante told the students of his own experience in having to move schools, and he felt nervous and out of place. He still remembers, he told them, the only boy who came up and introduced himself.

"It blew me away," he said. "It was awesome."

He urged them to fellowship the new students.

"As Christians, we are called to be a people of hospitality," he said. "Each one of you is an image of Christ for one another."

Bayliss sent them off to class with the reminder: "Be the best you can be, and have a g-r-r-r-r-eat year!"